Rick Nash To NYR

When I think of "high pressure environment", I think of Toronto last season when all the players were interviewed on camera and asked to apologize and explain what went wrong. Or Montreal comes to mind, when they were booing Price during one of his bad games, and when he made a very routine glove catch, they gave him a mocking standing ovation. Or even Philly, as much as I hate them, is a high pressure environment, a loud building in which you feel accountable for your play.

I've been to MSG, it's neither loud nor intimidating, for the fans or the players (aside from Brodeur, who at this point in his career LOVES it and thrives over there). Can't find anything Rangers-related around the city during the season: no one in jerseys, very few bumper-stickers or car stickers, extremely few hats (I see more Devils hats sprinkled around; maybe because the logo's cooler to people that don't have a clue about hockey), there's 1 or 2 semi-"Rangers bars", etc.... 40 minutes before a game, you can take a subway from downtown that passes through MSG with no one wearing a Rangers jersey. Half the arena doesn't even have jerseys on.

Just overall, it's my opinion that it's not this big exciting legendary hockey town. Obviously it's in the Post or Daily News' best interest to write about it this way, but it's not. A trip to Boston or Philly pretty much proves the difference. Just my honest opinion, because I'm in the city everyday and hang out here on weekends.

I agree, but that place does get loud. I was there for 4 games in the last two years and it is indeed loud.

When I think of "high pressure environment", I think of Toronto last season when all the players were interviewed on camera and asked to apologize and explain what went wrong. Or Montreal comes to mind, when they were booing Price during one of his bad games, and when he made a very routine glove catch, they gave him a mocking standing ovation. Or even Philly, as much as I hate them, is a high pressure environment, a loud building in which you feel accountable for your play.

Yes, and notice how Nash didn't want to go to any Canadian city?

I've been to MSG, it's neither loud nor intimidating, for the fans or the players (aside from Brodeur, who at this point in his career LOVES it and thrives over there). Can't find anything Rangers-related around the city during the season: no one in jerseys, very few bumper-stickers or car stickers, extremely few hats (I see more Devils hats sprinkled around; maybe because the logo's cooler to people that don't have a clue about hockey), there's 1 or 2 semi-"Rangers bars", etc.... 40 minutes before a game, you can take a subway from downtown that passes through MSG with no one wearing a Rangers jersey. Half the arena doesn't even have jerseys on.

Just overall, it's my opinion that it's not this big exciting legendary hockey town. Obviously it's in the Post or Daily News' best interest to write about it this way, but it's not. A trip to Boston or Philly pretty much proves the difference. Just my honest opinion, because I'm in the city everyday and hang out here on weekends.

Boston isn't a hockey city either. But yes, you'll find no disagreement from me - New York is not at all a hockey city and it ranks a distant 4th in the public consciousness. But the Garden fans can be very hostile and manage to get on players much quicker and with much more disdain than most cities, even I think, more than Philadelphia (in part because Philadelphia's missed the playoffs once since 1994). If Rick Nash has 2 goals in his first 20 games, the fans will get on him. In that sense, there is some pressure to produce. Hell, Devils fans didn't even really get on Kovalchuk when he had 4 goals and the team was well into last place to the extent that Ranger fans got on their hated players (Kamensky, Malik, Kevin Stevens, etc., the list is kinda endless)

Really? That's a surprise to me, for a city that supports a NHL team and 4 NCAA d1 programs, and 3 ahl teams. And a nber of huge number of prep school but not a hockey town. Cmon tri oyou know the history of Jacobs and the bruinss better than that.

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"Jay Pandolfo's last game at Boston University was against the Wolverines," Madden said. "My job was to cover his line. Jay had scored something like 30 goals in 30 games that season. And that was his 31st game. Guess what happened?"

"We always joke about it now," Madden said. "Jay tells me: 'You shut me down that game and you've been shutting me down ever since. The only problem is, now you're playing with me. ' "

Just overall, it's my opinion that it's not this big exciting legendary hockey town. Obviously it's in the Post or Daily News' best interest to write about it this way, but it's not. A trip to Boston or Philly pretty much proves the difference. Just my honest opinion, because I'm in the city everyday and hang out here on weekends.

I still think NY offers the best for hockey players. You get to play in front of sell out crowds every night. The atmosphere can be electric. Yet, you are in such a big city you can escape. Guys like Lundqvist and Richards can blend into the NY crowd and live a normal life. That isn't happening in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver or if you are a Knick or Yankee.

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"The Stanley Cup has fallen from the Stars. The new millennium has its first Stanley Cup Champion, and it's the New Jersey Devils." Mike Miller calling the Devils winning the Stanley Cup.

"It goes to the captain and then there are handoffs during a skate around the ice" Mike Emrick as Scott Stevens is being presented the Stanley Cup.

Really? That's a surprise to me, for a city that supports a NHL team and 4 NCAA d1 programs, and 3 ahl teams. And a nber of huge number of prep school but not a hockey town. Cmon tri oyou know the history of Jacobs and the bruinss better than that.

They support 3 AHL teams?

You're going to tell me the Bruins are anywhere close to as popular as the Celtics, Patriots, or Red Sox? I recognize that hockey is big in that area and I have little doubt there's more NHL players than NBA, MLB, or NFL players from Massachusetts, but I'm just not buying it at the pro level.

You're going to tell me the Bruins are anywhere close to as popular as the Celtics, Patriots, or Red Sox? I recognize that hockey is big in that area and I have little doubt there's more NHL players than NBA, MLB, or NFL players from Massachusetts, but I'm just not buying it at the pro level.

Celtics, yes. Pats and Sox blow them away, but since the B's have gotten good the gap has closed

As much as I believe Nash is overrated (not worth 7.8 mil), he's definitely a legit top 6 forward and the Rangers won this trade by far. How can Sather be so average with free agency, but rip off people in trades most of the time?

Dubi and AA are nice pieces, but they're 3rd liners (2nd liners in spades). Erixon has a chance to be something special, but they had plenty of depth at defense to include him. The 1st round pick is up in the air and it'll most likely be late.

The thing about the NY/NJ market and hockey is that it's all relative.. Percentage wise, its nowhere near as popular as in Philly and probably not as big as in Boston, but I am willing to bet that the actual number of hockey fans in NY/NJ is enormous

Hockey's biggest problem up here is that there are 4 teams between the two biggest sports (NFL MLB) when most cities don't even have 4 teams total.. So that takes a ton of media attention away (plus the Knicks being relevant kills hockey here).. And I'm a firm believer that most Americans only like what they perceive is popular.. If no one is talking hockey on TV or radio because they need to cover the 4 other teams first, then people simply aren't going to get into it

Hockey is big in Philly because the Flyers win and are consistently good.. The Eagles have never won and the Phillies weren't much to talk about before 2007.. The Bullies made hockey popular, and very little has come along since then to diminish the Flyers coverage.. Listen to any radio show down there and you'd be amazed at how much talk the Flyers get

Just imagine if there was only 1 hockey team in the area.. Wow, it could be a sold out 25k arena charging a hefty price on tix for sure

The thing about the NY/NJ market and hockey is that it's all relative.. Percentage wise, its nowhere near as popular as in Philly and probably not as big as in Boston, but I am willing to bet that the actual number of hockey fans in NY/NJ is enormous

Hockey's biggest problem up here is that there are 4 teams between the two biggest sports (NFL MLB) when most cities don't even have 4 teams total.. So that takes a ton of media attention away (plus the Knicks being relevant kills hockey here).. And I'm a firm believer that most Americans only like what they perceive is popular.. If no one is talking hockey on TV or radio because they need to cover the 4 other teams first, then people simply aren't going to get into it

Hockey is big in Philly because the Flyers win and are consistently good.. The Eagles have never won and the Phillies weren't much to talk about before 2007.. The Bullies made hockey popular, and very little has come along since then to diminish the Flyers coverage.. Listen to any radio show down there and you'd be amazed at how much talk the Flyers get

Just imagine if there was only 1 hockey team in the area.. Wow, it could be a sold out 25k arena charging a hefty price on tix for sure

Just imagine if there was only 1 hockey team in the area.. Wow, it could be a sold out 25k arena charging a hefty price on tix for sure

Very true! Very few cities in the WORLD, outside of maybe LA or London, UK, have this amount and variety of sports franchises in its metro area (and even those 2 have less). It's easy to forget about that when we're complaining about regular season attendance and viewership, but it's a CRAZY market to be in..

Very true! Very few cities in the WORLD, outside of maybe LA or London, UK, have this amount and variety of sports franchises in its metro area (and even those 2 have less). It's easy to forget about that when we're complaining about regular season attendance and viewership, but it's a CRAZY market to be in..

There are 14 pro football clubs in London alone. Obviously some bigger than others...

There are 14 pro football clubs in London alone. Obviously some bigger than others...

Wow, haven't followed the Premiership too heavily in a few years, so I thought there were only 3-4 Premiership teams from London. Turns out some teams have made it out of the lower leagues and the count is now up to 6 teams from London alone! Not even counting the lower leagues (as we have lower leagues, women leagues, spin-off leagues, etc. too in baseball and all the other sports), but 6 teams in one city in one of the most famous leagues for football/soccer in the world is freaking crazy!

That's like having Jets, Giants, Patriots, Bills, Eagles, and Ravens in a 10 mile radius, not to mention other teams spread out around the Northeast!

Wow, haven't followed the Premiership too heavily in a few years, so I thought there were only 3-4 Premiership teams from London. Turns out some teams have made it out of the lower leagues and the count is now up to 6 teams from London alone! Not even counting the lower leagues (as we have lower leagues, women leagues, spin-off leagues, etc. too in baseball and all the other sports), but 6 teams in one city in one of the most famous leagues for football/soccer in the world is freaking crazy!

That's like having Jets, Giants, Patriots, Bills, Eagles, and Ravens in a 10 mile radius, not to mention other teams spread out around the Northeast!

We already have something very close to that, it's just that the teams play different sports. Within a ten-mile radius, you have, in no particular order:

In London, soccer is basically the only game in town (maybe add cricket, but couldn't tell you).

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Wow, haven't followed the Premiership too heavily in a few years, so I thought there were only 3-4 Premiership teams from London. Turns out some teams have made it out of the lower leagues and the count is now up to 6 teams from London alone! Not even counting the lower leagues (as we have lower leagues, women leagues, spin-off leagues, etc. too in baseball and all the other sports), but 6 teams in one city in one of the most famous leagues for football/soccer in the world is freaking crazy!

That's like having Jets, Giants, Patriots, Bills, Eagles, and Ravens in a 10 mile radius, not to mention other teams spread out around the Northeast!

Yep, it's pretty wild. The teams in the Championship division are nothing to scoff at either...they all have grounds that seat 20k+.

Forgot about that, but, from what I understand, it's not that popular over there. (Not like in South Africa, Australia or New Zealand).

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I collect spores, molds and fungus.Hello fellow American. This you should vote me. I leave power. Good. Thank you, thank you. If you vote me, I'm hot. What? Taxes, they'll be lower... son. The Democratic vote is the right thing to do Philadelphia, so do.How do you spot risk? How do you avoid risk? And what makes it so risky?